Attorneys representing a Texas woman who allegedly fled to Costa Rica after fatally shooting her boyfriend’s love interest in May filed documents on Wednesday which would suppress evidence in her upcoming murder trial.
Kaitlin Armstrong’s attorneys alleged that Austin police arrested their client based on false statements. Attorneys also said that police failed to investigate Armstrong’s then-boyfriend Colin Strickland, 35, or investigate vandalism that occurred at their shared home on May 13, according to The Austin Chronicle.
The news outlet reported that previously-filed documents suggest that Armstrong’s lawyers have taken issue with gun evidence, which they believe is misleading. They have requested a court hearing to prove to the judge that any evidence police used to obtain an arrest warrant was erroneous.
Meanwhile, the Daily Mail reported that Armstrong’s legal team will also argue that cops did not read her Miranda rights before the May 14 interrogation. The lawyers asserted that any evidence acquired from that interview should be inadmissible in court.
On May 11, Armstrong, 34, allegedly shot and killed professional cyclist Moriah Wilson, 24, who was staying at a friend’s apartment in Austin at the time. Armstrong is believed to have killed Wilson upon learning she slept with her boyfriend, Colin Strickland, who lied to Armstrong when he went swimming and out to dinner with Wilson on the day she was killed. He also disguised her name in his phone to keep Armstrong from knowing he was communicating with her.
During the May 14 interrogation, police reportedly showed Armstrong footage of her car outside of the apartment where Wilson was found dead. The same day, Armstrong allegedly flew out of Austin and boarded a connecting flight to New York LaGuardia Airport.
According to reports, someone drove Armstrong to an airport in Newark, New Jersey, on May 18 — a day after a warrant was issued for her arrest. However, investigators found no outbound flight reservations listed under her name at the time.
Authorities believe Armstrong used a fraudulent passport to flee the country and cut and dyed her hair to evade detection.
However, defense attorney Rick Cofer claimed Armstrong went to Costa Rica because she was shaken by the series of events, including the alleged vandalism which occurred on May 13.
“Imagine waking up on May 13th and you’re Kait Armstrong. Your partner and lover of three and a half years had just spent nine hours at the [police] headquarters being interrogated for murder,” Cofer commented, according to The Austin Chronicle.
In regards to Strickland’s interrogation, the Daily Mail reported that he repeatedly described Armstrong as the “least volatile” woman he’s dated. He allegedly also told police he “shouldn’t have bought that gun.”
In a second interview, Strickland explained that he made the comment about the gun because it “complicated the inquiry immensely.”
“F**k you guys for manipulating me. Someone’s grieving but that’s not relevant,” he told police, per the Daily Mail.
Armstrong was arrested in Costa Rica on June 30. She has pleaded not guilty to Wilson’s first-degree murder. She is due in court on October 29.
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[Featured image: Kaitlin Armstrong/U.S. Marshals, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, and the Austin Police Department]
